Chapter written by Warriorpup28

Sometimes, the best intentions can cause the most harm, putting those you love  in danger. And when push comes to shove, everything else you thought you loved and needed falls away, leaving only the things, the people, you cannot live without.  True colors are revealed and trust is broken. And you no longer care about anything else in this world except the ones that remain standing when the ground beneath your paws shatter. And you cling to them --sacrifice everything for them, protect them with your life-- all in the name of love. This is something I had to learn the hard way, but I learned my lesson.

                   •°•○•°•

I let out a yawn as I drive home with the dark night sky hanging over me, crossing over a bridge towards a tower sitting on a hill, a tower I call home.

Ryder wanted me to control traffic while Rocky fixed a broken traffic light. It was an easy job, a little late for a mission, but easy enough for this police dog to handle.

Another yawn leaves my mouth as I pull into my parking spot, completing the circle of pup houses, only some still being used as sleeping quarters. Well, everyone is using them as such except me. But nobody else needs to have a bigger room. Eight paws won't fit inside my pup house.

Just outside of the sliding glass doors is when I get a call, and not one I am looking forward to having, not the girl I want to talk to right now. She is waiting inside patiently for my return, hopefully sleeping.

"Chase?"

"What is it, Gasket?" I rub the sleep from my eyes.

"Have you decided yet? Do I get Isabella tomorrow?"

I pause. She's not wasting any time. "As long as you are the only one watching her."

"Thank--"

I cut her off. "But. Watching her and nothing else."

I hear her sigh. "Oh come on, Chase, that was one time."

"One time is all it takes. Hubcap had no right taking her on a joy ride, filled with fraudulent activity." She sighs again and I feel my face heat up. "And let's not forget what you were doing instead of watching her."

"Yes, dog, I know. I learned my lesson, ok? I'm in recovery. Can we just move on?"

I bite my tongue to keep myself from running my mouth. "As long as she is safe, she can go. Will that be a problem?"

"Oh, here we go."

I pace outside of the Lookout, so close to my goal and yet at the same time, miles away.

"Will you ever forgive me? Isabella has, why can't you just let it go? Nothing will happen this weekend, trust me, quit being so overprotective."

A growl leaks through my teeth, that was a low blow and she knows it. "My trust has been shaken before."

"As has mine, Chase. We vowed to stay together, through sickness and in health. Did those words even once enter your mind when you took our daughter and abandoned me, when I need you both the most?"

"When you and the company you keep put our daughter in danger, then I will do whatever it takes to protect her. Vows or no vows."

"The only danger she will be in is growing up without a mother, Chase, trust me, I want to fix the mistakes I've made just as much as you want her to be safe. She will be with me the whole time, I swear."

I don't respond, ignoring my instinct's yells to keep my only daughter as far away from Gasket's pack as possible. But, I can't help but agree with Gasket on one point: Bella needs a mother.

Rubbing my face with my paw I answer her, "I'll be there by 7 A.M." And I hang up, not wanting to give myself the chance to change my mind and head inside.

The lookout is asleep when I enter. The only lights that are on are the night lights spaced out down the hallway leading to my room; our room.

I smile, Ryder was a little too eager to install a spare bedroom downstairs. Whether that was purely for my benefit, or an excuse to keep me and my daughter living under his roof, I haven't figured out. But it has become a heavenly sanctuary, away from the stress and troubles life tends to be full of.

I nose the bedroom door open and pad inside, approaching a mound of blankets and pillows piled on top of one of Ryder's old mattresses.

If the sudden wiggles from the blankets isn't enough to tell me Bella is somewhere underneath them, her scent is. The closer I get the more tired I become as strawberries and vanilla fill my nose. Each breath easing my mind and filling me with a sense of tranquility.

I poke my muzzle underneath the covers and am about to call her name when a wet nose touches mine and a small tongue kisses me. I step back and sit down, smiling as a small head peeks from underneath the blankets. Gorgeous green eyes glowing brightly and a toothy grin welcome me home as I take in my beloved daughter--who should have been asleep by now.

"Hi daddy," she says, half asleep, pulling her torso out of the blankets with her tail still covered and wagging for me.

"What are you doing up, Bella?"

"I couldn't sleep."

I sigh and look down at her and frown as she fidgets with the blankets, the way she does when she thinks she's in trouble.

"It's ok, baby."

I feel guilt crawl up my throat and it prohibits me from speaking further on the subject, from comforting her completely, like I have wanted to so many times in the past, but it's never enough to stop her wild imagination from keeping her awake. It may be the dark, it may be because we are separated, or the nature of my job, but whatever it is, she always has trouble sleeping when I'm away.

"I'm sorry, I know --" she mumbles, trying to apologize, like she always does.

"Bella, It's ok," I nuzzle her with my snout and kiss her cheek the way I always do and she lets out small giggles.

We hold each other's gaze, and as I try to instill hope and security into her heart that I am not going anywhere, she instills in me joy and peace, comfort and strength.

"Ready for bed now?" I whisper, rubbing the top of her head with my big paw.

"Yes," she lets out a yawn mid sentence, and smacks her tiny lips together. "Yes, daddy."

I circle the bed and lye down and Bella hops gracefully onto the bed, burrows into my side, and places her head on top of my paw. I kiss her head and smile as she nuzzles deeper into my side and quickly falls asleep. I watch her take longer breaths and feel my own body relaxing as I mumble a prayer, one for me, and one for her, and let my head sink into the mattress.

Waking up the next morning is near impossible, more so than it usually is. My first day off in five days. Instead of sleeping in, cuddling up to my princess, making breakfast together, and spending every second of the day with Bella, I have to drag myself out of bed at 5:30 A.M. I could have slept in for thirty more minutes at least, but breakfast still had to be made. And, this way, Bella could sleep in a little more before going over to her mom's; early mornings were never her favorite.

With eggs and bacon in our bowls --and a green, supposedly healthy, juice Marshall told me about filled in the other-- I return to the pitch black room to fetch Bella. The digital clock on my dresser reads 6 A.M. and I debate whether or not I can get away with telling Gasket we missed the alarm and crawl back into bed with the angel sleeping before me.

She rests silently, breathing softly, dreaming the sweetest dreams, I hope, though they pale in comparison to her.

"Bella," I nudge her side with my snout. She stirs and mumbles incoherently and turns onto her other side. I laugh to myself, she definitely got her love of sleeping in from me, before my training erased it from my system.

"Wake up, baby, breakfast is ready."

She groans but complies. I've never used my megaphone on her --never having the heart to torture such an innocent and loving pup with such a cruelty-- the others are a different story.

She drags her paws out of bed and stretches her front paws away from her body and leans her weight back. Letting out a yawn, she looks up to me with partially open eyes, her mother's eyes; green and beautiful.

She yawns again and pads over to me and licks my chin. "Morningdaddy."

I have to hold back a giggle.

"Come on, sleepy head." I usher her into the kitchen and turn on the overhead lights, the sun won't be up for another thirty minutes or so.

Sniffing the air, she naturally moves toward the eggs and bacon, until her eyes fully open and confusion masks her face. Tilting her head to the side she gravitates to the green liquid and gives me a questioning look.

"What's this?"

"A healthy drink," I say, "Full of yummy fruits and other foods." I fail to mention the servings of spinach, cucumbers, and beets it also contains. I know she won't even try it if I give her a complete list of ingredients, but hopefully the double serving of her favorite fruits, blueberries and bananas, will win her over.

She sniffs it cautiously and makes a face. And I struggle to hold in my laugh.

"Come on sweetie, watch." I smile at her and, slowly, take a sip of the liquid, and try my best to hide the disgusted expression from my face (nope, not enough fruit.)

"See it's yummy," I say, forcing myself to smile.

She looks at me and her head tilts to the side, ears flopping to the left, watching me with that same penetrating, adorable look that always turns me into warm goo on the inside.

"It's not that bad," I add.

As I go to take another sip, she nods to herself and, with a slight wag in her tail, takes a big sip. Instantly, her face morphs into a scrunched up sneer, like she just licked a lemon.

"Ewww, daddyy," she yips, sticking her tongue out. I spit out some of my own drink and cover my mouth with a paw.

"It's not funny," she says, stomping her paw on the tile.

I try. I try so hard to stop laughing but fail miserably.

She glares at me, her pouty face turned angry, now she really looks like her mother, beautiful, and dangerous.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," I tell her, "I'll make it more sweet next time and use less vegetables, ok?"

She nods and gives me a small smile.

"Bella?"

She looks up to me.

"I love you, princess."

She can't help it and blushes, covering her face with her paws. I hit a nerve, her soft spot. Maybe because we watched too many Disney movies when she was really young, but it has been her dream to be a princess, and it is my duty to remind her that she will always be my princess, at least once a day.

"Your highness, where has your crown gone? Did the royal crown cleaner misplace it?"

Now she really can't stand it, and directs her embarrassment  towards me, and launches on to me and I fall backwards. She lands on my chest, hitting me with her tiny soft paws which only makes me laugh more.

"Ok Bells, ok," I say and she lets me live, this time.

"Eat up, we need to be going soon."

One quick meal later, some fur brushing courtesy of Ryder, and we are on our way.

The drive is quiet, neither of us are fully awake yet, Bella's head is bobbing up and down as she fights to stay awake. We cross the bridge right as the sun is waking up, light sparkling off of the calm water. Nobody is out at this time, Adventure Bay, among many things, is not home to early risers. Except for Farmer Yumi and AL. They'd be the ones waking me up in the morning.

By the time we reach the abandoned restaurant surrounded by sandy hills and cacti, I am already second guessing coming here. Beer bottles litter the perimeter of the building, and the smoldering coals in the fire pit clue me in on to the party they threw last night, if the two dogs passed out beside it weren't enough of a give away.

I am half surprised to see Gasket, not only awake, but cleaning up as well. She watches us as I park and strolls over to Bella's side to help her down, only one glancing my way and nodding her head, which is the best good morning I'm going to get apparently.

Bella immediately perks up and is wiggling in place fighting against her seatbelt. "Momma!"

"Morning, sweetie." Her voice seems tired and it does nothing to calm my anxiety and lingering doubts. Gasket never stops smiling as Bella climbs down from her seat, onto her mother's back and to the ground, both of their tails wagging fiercely.

"Good morning momma," Bella says, nuzzling into her neck. My smile wavers as the two reunite and Bella's tail never stops wagging and Gasket's eyes reflect both the morning light and happiness. Can't let my guard down.

"Yes, how are you feeling this morning?" I say as I jump out of my truck, trying my best to sound genuine, and not suspicious.

"Fine," she says to me with an edge to her voice.

"I take it the others won't be joining us anytime soon." I quip, glancing sideways at the passed out pooches by the smoldering campfire.

"Isn't that how you want it?" Gasket looks back at me while Bella trots in front of us both, heading inside.

"I'd rather they didn't drink in front of you at all," I say, in a hushed voice.

She rolls her eyes and follows Bella inside. I take one last look at the pair of dogs before following them inside. Good, don't wake up.

Gasket is sitting on one of the corner booths by the window when I get inside, smiling and nodding as Bella rattles on about anything and everything in between; I'm just happy to see her so excited, mostly happy. She is always asking me why her mother can't stay over at the lookout with us, and I have yet to feel confident enough to have that conversation with her.

I make my way over and grab a seat next to Gasket while Bella tells her all about the pretty sunrise we saw this morning. I wait for her to finish before talking to the husky to my left.

"So how did the," I glance at Bella, "sleepover y'all had last night go?"

"Went fine," Gasket grumbles, giving me a sideways glare but leaves it at that. She seems not in the mood to fight today, but that doesn't stop her from defending herself.

"And before you ask, I didn't drink any of the sparkling cyder."

This was code talk of course for, I didn't relapse. I nod my head. We both try to filter what we say in front of the little one. That, at least, we have in common.

"That's good, you're making progress." I give her the first smile I can manage her way.

She smiles back, her beautiful green eyes pulling me in closer, just like they always do.

"Are you guys going to kiss?" Bella asks, tilting her head to the side.

"No," We both yip and I take an extra scoot away from her. Like I said -beautiful- and dangerous.

"So what do you have planned for today?" I say, fidgeting with my uniform and looking everywhere except to my left.

"Weally big trouble!" says a squeaky, annoying voice from behind me that makes my ears fall to the side and I rub my eyes, it is too early for this.

Bella, being too sweet and innocent to see Hubcap for who he really is, greets him with as much love as anyone else she considers family.

"Hi, Uncle Hubcap!" she cheers, waving a paw.

Don't ask me how he became an uncle, not through me, never. He doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as my baby does and I trust him about as far as I can throw him.

I give a nod as he comes into view and clench my jaw as he takes a seat next to Bella and wraps a paw around her shoulder. I swallow my anger and force a smile and try to distract myself with conversation.

"It is Sunday. You guys could catch the morning service."

Hubcap starts snickering to himself and Gasket puts a paw to her face.

"Ya, right." He pounds the table and I take in deep breaths.

Ignoring the Bulldog, for his own safety, I turn to Gasket while keeping Bella in my peripherals. "Is there something she wanted to do with you?"

"Well, the kitchen is still functional, and I thought I'd teach her how to cook today."

I glance at the Shepherded Husky mix and smile as her eyes sparkle and her tail thumps against the seat.

"That sound good, Bells?"

She nods her head and looks about ready to jump out of her seat and onto us both. Gasket has always been a good cook, and it wouldn't hurt if they spent more quality time together, that was the whole point of today after all.

My smile changes as I see Dwayne drag his paws through the door, poor guy, he would follow Hubcap to the ends of the earth, or the bottom of a bottle, evidently.

"Ya well," Hubcap grumbles. "Me and Dwayne were going to go into town and look around." He winks at the half asleep dog who immediately perks up and wags his tail.

"We're going to look at the kittens at the pet shop?"

"No." Hubcap rolls his eyes. " We're going to grab a few supplies for the house."

"What kind of supplies?"

I tuned them out at this point, and focused on Bella as she giggled and gazed up happily at her mother as she moved her lips and made funny faces as the others talked.

A call on my pup tag pulls me away from the group and I answer with a hello.

"Chase, I need you back at the lookout."

It was Ryder. And as much as it pained me to leave my little girl, I had a duty to perform, what that was, I didn't know, but I did know better than to question Ryder.

"I'll be right there, sir."

I hang up and my heart aches in my chest as Bella stares me down with troubled eyes and a limp tail.

"Daddy? Can't you stay?"

I nod my head to the side and hop down to the ground and Bella crawls underneath the table and follows me out from under it, letting out whines that make me want to tell Ryder to figure out whatever the issue is himself.

"I have to go to work now."

"But daddy!" she yips, but I hold up a paw.

"I'm sorry, baby, but I'll see you tomorrow, maybe you can make breakfast for us."

I peek at her mother and smile, nodding to her before looking back at my pouting girl.

"Besides, you and Mom will have fun, right? And someone needs to watch her around those two."

I motion to Hubcap and Dwayne, who are completely absorbed in their own conversation.

"Can you do that for me?" I ask looking into her glowing green eyes, the sun's rays lighting them up like fireworks.

"Yes daddy," she says with a smile.

"Good, thank you." I give her a kiss on the forehead, give Gasket a smile, and take my leave.

A lot can change in the course of twelve hours. Day becomes night, rewarding work can become tedious, and dangerous mistakes can be made by foolish dogs.

Exhausted to sleep, I drag my paws inside the lonely spare bedroom, stripping off my gear and letting it fall haphazardly onto the floor in a messy trail to my bed. I smoosh into the mattress and bury my head into the pillow, letting the lingering scent of my baby lull me to sleep, like a powerful drug.

My mind swims in the black void, warmly and snuggly drifting off to sleep in a peaceful silence. The black void brightens to a light blue as my pup tag lights up and  vibrates against my chest.

"Chaseeeyy?"

I groan and get into a half sitting position with my legs still prone, ready to go back to sleep as glowing bright blue blinds me.

"Are you asleeeep?"

"Gasket?" wait a minute. Chasey? She hasn't called me that since we separated.

"Are you alright?" I ask, slowly getting out of bed to stretch. This should be good.

"I'm greatt." Her giggling becomes louder and red flags start waving in my head.

"Gasket, have you been drinking?"

At first laughter is the only response I get.

"I miss you baby, cann you come overrr?"

Ice runs through my veins and It takes me a second to piece together the situation, not fully, but enough to know that Bella is in danger.

"Gasket?" I rush off my bed, stumbling around on the floor trying to collect my gear. "Where is Bella?"

"Whatareyou talkin bout--"

Her voice trails off as a yawn cuts off anything else she tries to say.

"You have to stay awake, Gasket."

She mumbles incoherently. I am out of the room and passing through the lookout doors when my pup tag cuts out. I bark, and my pup house transforms into my vehicle and I am down the driveway in seconds.

"Gasket?" I try but the line remains quiet.

"Are you there?" Nothing. The only sound I register is the roar of my engine as I force the accelerator down. Faster, faster, come on. Just hold on, Bella.

The drive is a blur. And I barely stop my truck before leaping out once the abandoned restaurant is within walking distance. My spotlight shines through the murky black night as I get closer to the natural glow coming from a bonfire.

Music is ringing from a speaker and my light catches two dogs huddled together by the fire, drinking from a clear glass bottle that reflects my light.

Moving my light to the right of them, I focus on a mound of gray fur. Passed out on the ground is where I find Gasket, lying limply with a solo cup next to her. I rush over and take hold of her in my arms and smell the alcohol on her breath instantly.

I shake the husky gently. "Gasket. Gasket, where's Bella?"

She groans but her eyes remain shut and her head nestles into my chest, taking hold of my uniform.

"Don't bother with her, she won't be awake for hours."

Hubcap.

I set her back down gently, and slowly turn around to face the French Bulldog and Dwayne. Neither of them look like they can stand on their own, and are using each other for support.

"We got her so good," he laughs into the cold night, nudging Dwayne, who looked like he didn't know what planet he was on.

"Got her?" I growl.

Before anyone else can move, a blur of gray and brown rushes towards me. She was in my arms in seconds, breathing heavily.

"Bella?"

She clings to me, her body shaking like a leaf and her scent, once a beautiful strawberry was now tainted with vodka and coke.

I let a growl rumble from my chest. "Why does she reek of alcohol?" My eyes train on Hubcap.

"Weren't you listening dog, we got her good. Gasket didn't even know it was alcohol she was drinking." Another laugh burst from his tiny body. "After the last drink we fed her she just passed out."

I look down at Bella as she pulls on my uniform.

"Daddy, I tried to catch her."

"Hey, shut up!" Hubcap growls and takes a step closer to her.

I launch over Bella and collide with Hubcap, shoving him to his back and pinning him to the ground.

I expose my canines at him as a growl rips from my chest. "Don't touch her!"

Dwayne takes a step my way and I lock onto him, my body vibrating as I snarl. He shrinks down to the ground and avoids my gaze with his tail tucked between his legs.

Beneath me, Hubcap is hyperventilating, squirming pointlessly under my crushing weight, wincing as my claws dig into his shoulders.

"If you ever come near either of them again. . . that mistake will be fatal," I narrow my eyes and press all of my weight into my front paws and smile as air is forced out of his mouth. I lean down inches away from him. "Do you understand me?"

He whimpers and nods his head fiercely. I push off him and he wheezes, gasping for air. I don't look back, too afraid of what I'll do if I see him again.

Bella is by Gasket when I return and to my relief she is awake. Bella comes to my side and rubs against me. "Daddy, I want to go home."

"Ok baby." I crouch down so she can jump onto my back and, once she's on, move to my truck and help into her seat, before going back for Gasket.

Her eyes are half open when I reach her and she looks ready to either pass out or vomit. I crouch down and wrap her arm around my neck. Hoisting her up onto shaky paws, I have to lead her over to my truck and help her get inside before jumping in myself. I get buckled in, turn on my truck, and drive home.

Midnight has come and gone by the time we get home. As I shut my engine off I glance over at my passengers, both of which are fast asleep. I hop out of my truck and go over to Bella's side and nudge her awake. I tell her to go inside and wait for me in the bathroom. She nods, half asleep, and hops down, with my help, walking slowly inside.

When I nudge Gasket she opens her eyes but she looks just as ready to close them if I don't hurry.

"Can you walk?"

She nods her head and groans. Awkwardly she jumps down and I have to control her fall so she doesn't kiss the pavement.

"Let's get you to bed."

She mumbles a response and leans some of her weight on me but is able to walk on her own, mostly. She wakes up as we get inside and begins talking, but the only words I can decipher are sorrowful apologies and stifled tears. She won't be able to do this on her own and I know she will still need me in the morning to help pick up the pieces.

We reach my room and I nose the door open and help Gasket inside --a room which weirdly, she has never seen before, most of our after-date sleepovers always took place in my pup house. I lye her down on the mattress and pull the blanket up over her side.

"I'll be back."

She nods and continues pouring out her lamentations to herself with tears still falling down her muzzle.

"Good, don't hold it in." I brush stray fur out of her face and my heart stings at such a sad sight.

Bella is waiting for me in the bathroom, already inside the tub, looking at me expectantly, her eyes closing and fluttering open.

"Is it bedtime yet?"

"Almost, love," I tell her and turn on the water. Steam billows up from the water but I test the temperature just to be sure before motioning for Bella that it is safe. Her body visibly relaxes as the water hits her and she becomes lost in the moment, closing her eyes and shutting out the world, thinking happy thoughts, I hope.

My own tiredness begins to show and my voice becomes softer, "Keep your eyes closed, baby."

I begin to lather her up in her favorite shampoo, strawberry. I try my best to swallow what anger I have left as I scrub away the memories of tonight's events, trying to rid every trace of the alcohol from her fur.

She is quiet. The only noise coming from the water hitting the bottom of the tub and my occasional direction for her. Before long she is rinsed and I turn the water off. She hops out of the tub and I wrap her up in a fuzzy towel and dry her off. She watches me intently, her sleepy eyes never losing their sparkle.

"I'm so sorry, baby, I thought I could trust Mommy to watch you. I shouldn't have ever left you there."

Shaking her head she puts a paw on my arm. "Daddy, it wasn't her fault, Mommy is just feeling sad. She told me she feels alone."

I sigh and cover her face with the towel, gently rubbing it dry. When I uncover it, she is still looking right at me with her fur poofing out in every which way. I run a paw down her cheeks and comb it the best I can.

"She needs us, Daddy."

I falter and swallow as her gaze becomes serious, but I can't help but smile, she is too pure for her own good. I take her head in my paws and keep her gaze. "I know. I know." I kiss her head and smile as her tail thumps against the ground. "She's going to be staying with us, if she wants to."

Bella smiles up at me and I can tell this is exactly what she was looking for, exactly what she wanted to hear, and exactly what we both need. I usher her out of the bathroom and into our bedroom. Suddenly my room feels strange with both of the girls inside, like a missing puzzle piece that is found and placed with the others that have already been put into place, completing the picture. And only a piece my baby girl could find and place before I ever noticed that it was missing to begin with. A clever little detective she is.

Gasket's ears twitch as we approach and she tries to hide her tears, wiping at her face, but Bella just nuzzles her head under her mother's chin and hugs her, letting out small happy whines. Gasket hesitates at first but in seconds wraps her arms around Bella and nuzzles her, whispering sweet and soothing words only a mother could ever utter to their child.

Joining them in bed, I give them their space as they lye down, Bella facing away from her mother, and toward me, with her back nestled into Gasket who holds her with one paw.

As I watch them, I can't help but inch closer to the pair, feeling a powerful pull towards the most important girls in my life. As if sensing my hesitation, Gasket reaches out her other paw and grabs mine, pulling me closer until my forehead touches hers.

The same eyes I see everyday in Bella, stare at me, glowing through the dark.

"Chase. I'm so sorry, you have to believe me I didn't know--"

I hold her shoulder and try and stop her from going to the dark place I fear her mind is taking her.

"Gasket, it's ok, I know it wasn't your fault."

"But it was. I wish I never would have met those two idiots."

I nod my head and decide to leave it at that. No point in kicking her when she is already down. She looks down at Bella and adopts the face she makes whenever she is deep in thought, usually not the good kind either. I tilt her chin up to look at me.

"Well, you were right about one thing."

Her eyes meet mine and fill with curiosity.

"What?"

"Bella does need a mother."

Her eyes search me and they sparkle as tears fill them.

"You mean?"

I nod my head and grin as she giggles to herself, crying happy tears and gazing lovingly down at Bella; a part of Gasket, a part of me, and completely ours. I peek through half closed eyes at my girls, and let out a heavy breath and effortlessly fall asleep, happy to have my family back, safe and sound, together again.